Atari Mania mashup of early console classics comes to PC this summer

Atari made some dubious efforts to capitalize on the console gaming heritage it has built over the last decade, but they have failed. Atari Mania doesn’t appear to be one of them. On Thursday, the Windows PC Game was revealed. The collection includes minigames that combine staples of Atari 2600 libraries.

Above, you can see callsbacks in the announcement trailer. Outlaw, Yars’ Revenge, Breakout, Combat, Circus Atari, Warlords, AdventureAll of this is presented in an updated, pixelsated style. (Instead of the 2600’s … what, 4-bit graphics?) The minigames are a blend of the classic titles’ characters and gameplay — for example, using a Pong Use a paddle to repel the insects Centipede.

There’s even a story wrapping around all of this: “You are the Caretaker of the Atari Vault, the storehouse of classic Atari games,” says the promo copy. “One night, a dead pixel appears and soon enough, all heck breaks loose!!”

Atari ManiaIt promises to launch on Steam with more than 150 microgames by the end of this summer. And if the teaser is any indication, there should be Easter eggs, deep cuts, and sly references aplenty — including what the Adventure adventurer would look like if they weren’t, you know, a yellow block.